Synonyms of coeval

coeval 1 of 2

adjective

kō-ˈē-vəl 

as in concurrent

existing or occurring at the same period of time

two stars thought to be coeval because they have nearly the same mass and brightness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• concurrent
• synchronous
• synchronic
• coincident
• contemporaneous
• contemporary
• coincidental
• simultaneous
• coextensive
• coetaneous
• coterminous
• concomitant
• accompanying
• coexistent
• coexisting
• incident
• attending
• attendant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• asynchronous
• nonsynchronous
• nonsimultaneous
• noncontemporary

coeval

2 of 2

noun

as in contemporary

a person who lives at the same time or is about the same age as another

somewhat surprisingly, Saint Patrick and Attila the Hun were coevals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• contemporary
• companion
• equivalent
• accompaniment
• counterpart
• equal
• concomitant
• coordinate
• rival
• peer
• match

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective coeval differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of coeval are coincident, contemporaneous, contemporary, simultaneous, and synchronous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

In what contexts can coincident take the place of coeval?

While the synonyms coincident and coeval are close in meaning, coincident is applied to events and may be used in order to avoid implication of causal relationship.

the end of World War II was coincident with a great vintage year

When can contemporaneous be used instead of coeval?

The synonyms contemporaneous and coeval are sometimes interchangeable, but contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When could contemporary be used to replace coeval?

The meanings of contemporary and coeval largely overlap; however, contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

When would simultaneous be a good substitute for coeval?

In some situations, the words simultaneous and coeval are roughly equivalent. However, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

Where would synchronous be a reasonable alternative to coeval?

The words synchronous and coeval can be used in similar contexts, but synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of coeval

Adjective

One operation persisted fourteen hours, a sort of sci-fi marvel of science, internal engineering, and medical dedication, contra all the coeval dystopian breakdowns of that first COVID year. —Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026

Their personalities and their pain are made almost exactly coeval, with little telling slippage between. —Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023

Her letters to Bradley demonstrate that the idea was coeval with her wish to be a poet and her discovery of romantic feeling for girls, and that it was fully formed as early as her adolescence. —Langdon Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 25 Feb. 2020

Noun

The universal hatred comes from the child star’s coevals, whose curiosity about the occupation is mingled with resentment. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

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